Rollers are widely used in the manufacturing process throughout a range of industries, including, e.g., foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, consumer products, and machinery. As manufacturers strive to become more economical in their operation, they may position production lines closer in proximity to one another. This, however, can present a problem when a roller must be replaced in a device and the available work space for replacing the roller is less than the length of the roller being replaced so as to prevent the roller from being inserted into the device. Such a problem can be expensive to resolve and may cause manufacturers to lose valuable production time by shutting down adjacent lines in order to move equipment out of the way so that the roller can be replaced, or in the alternative, to construct plants having greater unused space between production lines so as to allow for replacement of the rollers.
Additionally, manufacturers are increasingly mindful of selecting rollers that offer good wearability and withstand the processing conditions to which such rollers are subjected.
Consequently, a need exists for a roller construction and method that provide a solution to the foregoing problems.